


sunny days, summer nights

by erre



Series: fwss au [2]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Character Study, Childhood Friends, Dance Instructor Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, First Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, Producer Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Soulmate Shenanigans, Time Skips, past!suga/woozi, what else is new lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28135434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erre/pseuds/erre
Summary: It took a second for Soonyoung to realize he'd crashed into someone. He winced. “Sorry. Are you okay?”The guy was compact and baby-faced, and when his eyebrows drew up the overall effect was rather like a puppy. He glanced at Soonyoung before getting up and dusting off. Then he held out his hand. Soonyoung took it, and in one fluid motion he was pulled to his feet.(Soonyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, again and again and again.)
Relationships: Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Series: fwss au [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054988
Comments: 23
Kudos: 54





	1. high school (day one)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from sam kim's [sunny days, summer nights](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcuIJ9waAVw) ([lyrics](https://genius.com/Sam-kim-sunny-days-summer-nights-lyrics))
> 
> companion fic to "fall, winter, spring, summer" but can mostly stand alone

It was 7:30 a.m., chilly, and all too bright to be the first day of high school. Soonyoung dragged his feet to the bus stop where the other kids in his neighborhood were waiting in their fresh-pressed uniforms — literally dragged his feet, because his mom insisted he’d grow into his new sneakers and bought them half a size too big. Some studious guy next to him was reading a comic book and Soonyoung glanced over, only to do a double take.

“Holy shit.”

“What?” Wonwoo said, flipping a page.

“You… You have _glasses_.”

“Mm. Couldn't put it off any longer.”

Soonyoung frowned. “You look weird.” They were real wire-rimmed literature professor glasses — it took the serious edge off Wonwoo’s face a bit and also had the unfortunate benefit of making him look smarter.

Wonwoo snapped his book shut. “You’ve been looking weird ever since you got rid of your braces, but have I said anything?”

“Whatever,” Soonyoung sighed, leaning against an ad for anti-wrinkle cream. “Now that you can see, look out for the bus for me.”

“You’re sleeping?” He heard Wonwoo shift his weight. “Aren’t you excited?”

Soonyoung raised his head slowly. “Excited? Are you excited?”

“Not really.” Wonwoo was usually good at lying, but he was way too awake to be convincing right now. “You don’t seem to be, that’s all.”

“I _am_ excited. That’s why I couldn’t sleep last night.”

Wonwoo gazed up at the sky with a small smile. “We’re in high school. Can you believe it?”

Watching the bus roll up to the curb, Soonyoung felt more a child parading in his big brother’s clothes. He was both nervous _and_ excited, as he always got on the first day of school; he knew the bubbly feeling would fade like a sugar high later that night. Needless to say, the bubbly didn’t mix well with his sleep deprivation, and during the bus ride an older woman kept glancing over like she thought Soonyoung might fall flat on his face. (He has never, on a bus.)

It was probably a combination of all those things, and mild annoyance with Wonwoo not having fallen flat on _his_ face for reading while walking, that led to the crash.

One second Soonyoung was upright, the next he was on his ass in front of the school entrance. A group of upperclassmen changing their shoes snickered by the racks.

“Ow,” said a guy, also sprawled on the floor. It took a second for Soonyoung to realize they’d crashed into each other.

Soonyoung winced. “Sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I wasn’t looking.” He was compact and baby-faced, and when his eyebrows drew up the overall effect was rather like a puppy. Soonyoung happened to notice that his pant hems had been rolled up and safety pinned, and that his right shoe was hanging off his foot. He yanked it back on.

“I haven’t grown into mine either,” Soonyoung blurted. “Shoes, I mean.”

The guy glanced at him before getting up and dusting off. Then he held out his hand. Soonyoung took it. In one fluid motion he was pulled to his feet.

The guy scratched his neck awkwardly. “I don’t think anyone has.”

“Right.”

Soonyoung was blinking after his departing back when Wonwoo reappeared, his slippers already on. “Why are you still standing in the doorway?”

“No reason…”

Wonwoo waited around for Soonyoung to change his shoes. “We’re not in the same class, by the way.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, I checked the announcements. 1-3, 1-5.”

They followed the flow of first-years down the hall. Wonwoo was lingering; he hadn’t had the easiest time making friends in middle school, so Soonyoung nudged him. “See you at lunch?”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo said softly, and strolled off to his own classroom. Soonyoung stifled a yawn and shuffled into 1-3. Some of the bolder kids had grabbed seats, while others hovered near the edge of the room, sure that the homeroom teacher would pop out at any moment and scold them for sitting where they weren’t supposed to.

Soonyoung was torn. He could attempt to talk to someone, or he could find a warm spot at the back and just nap for —

“Oh, it’s you.”

“…It’s me,” said the guy he’d crashed into. The guy had been edging towards one of the seats in the back and seemed slightly taken aback at being spoken to. Soonyoung peered at the nametag on his blazer — Lee Jihoon. Simple and sturdy. _A reliable kind of guy to borrow notes from_ , echoed his mom’s voice in his head. _A nice new friend._

“Are you really okay?” Soonyoung asked. Jihoon leaned forward and Soonyoung pointed out the hall. “Earlier, when we…”

“Oh. Yeah, fine.” There was a pause. “You?”

“Me? Ah, I’m used to getting knocked around.”

Jihoon snorted.

It was a _Why does that not surprise me?_ snort. Jihoon bit his lip, like he hadn’t intended to do that.

Soonyoung narrowed his eyes. “I do taekwondo,” he explained. “The knocking goes both ways.”

Jihoon’s mouth twitched at the corners. “Obviously.”

“Hey, you knocked back!”

_Sorry, Mom,_ Soonyoung thought ruefully, _I’ll find a nice one later_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not sure if this format will work, but i always wanted to experiment with shorter chapters – and this fic might work best this way?? there are going to be 4 timelines and each chapter will contain scene(s) from each timeline; i think this way i can play with how the scenes/timelines connect without making it super confusing... updates will be shorter + more frequent too.
> 
> if you strongly prefer longer chapters, please let me know!!! ↴
> 
> **@erreversible** on [twitter](https://twitter.com/erreversible?lang=en) | [tumblr](https://erreversible.tumblr.com/) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/erreversible)


	2. university (welcome party)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when texting:   
>  _italics_ = soonyoung   
>  **_bold italics_** = jihoon

Soonyoung really didn’t care for Chung-Ang Dance’s new student welcome party.

Sure, he had been excited to attend his first year, and as a second-year, he and Jun had met Myungho at the very same party — but now that Soonyoung was a fourth-year, he just felt uncomfortable seeing new students bending over backwards to make a good impression and obnoxious upperclassmen lounging around with their legs crossed, waiting for their drinks to be refilled.

This year’s party was no different. They had set up an outdoor tent with fairy lights and barbecue and booze for the whole department, and like always, there was a clear division between the different majors — ballet, contemporary, and traditional — all obeying an unspoken rule of No Crossing Allowed. It was like high school all over again. Soonyoung himself had friends from other majors, and he knew he wasn’t alone, but on this particular night stepping into another section meant fraternizing with the enemy.

Soonyoung, Jun, and Myungho had claimed a spot in the corner, where they were planning to eat quietly until they could slip away unnoticed.

“Not _again_.” Soonyoung swatted his calf. “Why are there so many mosquitoes?”

Jun peered under the table while he nibbled on his fifth short rib. “I haven’t felt anything?”

“They have one of those swirly things over there,” Myungho said, eyeing a coil of mosquito repellant near a boisterous group of students. “Should I steal it?”

“Dude, what if they see you?” Soonyoung whispered.

Myungho raised his eyebrows. “They’re too drunk to notice.”

That was true. The table was chanting now, encouraging yet another person to take a shot. The poor girl looked like she had enough to deal with without mosquitoes in the mix.

“It’s fine,” Soonyoung decided. “I don’t think I got bitten very much.”

“Are you sure? It would take a second.”

“He’s very stealthy,” Jun confirmed.

“Just focus on eating.” Soonyoung added another barbecued rib to Myungho’s plate. “The mosquitoes aren’t biting you because you’re so skinny.”

“It’s all muscle,” Myungho rebutted, a challenge in his eyes. “Want to test me?”

Soonyoung cooed and ruffled his hair. “You’re so tough!” Myungho gave him a baleful (and unintentionally cute) glare. “Alright, bathroom time,” Soonyoung announced. “Guard my plate with your lives.”

Jun saluted him.

Soonyoung crossed the grassy square to the admissions office, a large stone building that was as old as it looked. He probably only stepped inside once a year to pee, and tonight he was meeting his annual quota.

Under the fluorescent light of the bathroom, he checked his calves. The mosquitoes had snacked on him a few times, but one bite in particular kind of looked like a heart. Soonyoung snapped a photo and sent it to Jihoon.

He didn’t expect the immediate reply.

> **_haha what the hell_ **
> 
> _do you see it?  
>  _ _it’s a heart  
>  _ _♡  
>  _ _cute right_
> 
> **_i see it  
>  _ ** **_mosquito?_ **
> 
> _yep  
>  _ _thse bastards  
>  _ _*those  
>  _ _i wore shorts outside ><  
>  _ _they must be really hungry_
> 
> **_guess where mine is_ **

Jihoon sent a photo showing the swollen pad of his pointer finger.

> _wow i’ve never seen one there before lol  
>  _ _does it hurt?  
>  _ _wait  
>  _ _do you feel the itch inside your finger or outside???_
> 
> **_………  
>  _ ** **_it’s just itchy…_ **
> 
> _ah_ ****
> 
> **_and annoying  
>  _ ** **_i killed it though  
>  _ ** **_one hit KO_ **

Jihoon sent a cartoon victory emoji and Soonyoung snickered. He could be such a kid sometimes.

> _master lee lolol  
>  _ _lend me your powers!!!!  
>  _ _there are too many here  
>  _ _i cannot fight alone_
> 
> **_my pupil_ **

The typing bubble started, stopped, started, and then stopped for a while. Eventually, Jihoon replied:

> **_just go indoors  
>  _ ** **_my powers need to recharge_ **
> 
> _boooo_  
>  _i can’t  
>  _ _i’m gonna get eaten alive  
>  _ _:(_

Either Jihoon had really fallen asleep or he was busy, because he didn’t respond after that. Soonyoung went to do what he’d come to the bathroom to do, before braving the wilderness once again.

On his way back, he noticed a small ruckus by the grills outside the tent. A few dancers he recognized were converging on a first-year. Soonyoung felt a rush of long-suppressed anger surge inside him.

“Hey,” he called, approaching the group. “What’s going on? People are trying to get their food, you know?” No one was, but one whiff and anyone could tell this bunch was intoxicated.

“Mind your own business,” slurred the guy who was making most of the ruckus. “We’re just having fun.”

“Shut up,” another guy hissed. “That’s Kwon-sunbae.”

Someone went “Who?” and that kicked off a hushed argument. The first-year quickly extracted himself and joined Soonyoung.

“Oh no, the meat is burning,” Soonyoung cried, pointing at the empty grill behind the idiots, and wasted no time disappearing into the crowd.

“Thank you,” the kid said, hot on Soonyoung’s heels. “This is a lot more intense than I thought it would be.” He seemed grateful but still somewhat annoyed, which Soonyoung could appreciate. He’d always liked people with an attitude.

“Some people take it too far. What’s your name?”

“Lee Chan. First-year, contemporary dance major, studied at—”

“Whoa,” Soonyoung chuckled. “Slow down, it’s not an interview. Your name is Chan?”

“Yes,” Chan answered, looking at him anew. “Are you… ‘Kwon-sunbae’?”

Soonyoung shrugged. “I mean, my mom calls me ‘Kwon Soonyoung, you idiot,’ but I answer to both.” Chan laughed, and Jun and Myungho looked up at the sound. “Hey guys, I brought a friend.”

Chan snapped into a bow. “Hi, I’m Lee Chan! Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, hey, you don’t have to do all that,” Jun said, waving his hands. “We’re not Korean so we don’t care.”

Myungho elbowed him and gestured for Chan to sit down. “Nice to meet you, too. Did you eat yet?”

“Yes, a little earlier.” Chan glanced curiously around the table. “Are you all upperclassmen?”

Jun jerked his chin at Soonyoung. “Us two are fourth-years. I’m Jun.” He clasped Myungho’s shoulders. “And this is the baby—”

“Seo Myungho,” Myungho interrupted with a smile. “Third-year. Ah, I breakdance and I’m also studying design. That’s my fun fact."

Soonyoung knew that this was, indeed, Myungho’s fun fact whenever he had to introduce himself to other dancers. It helped people remember him for sure, if being one of the only two Chinese international students in the department didn’t make him memorable enough.

Chan was waiting for more, so Soonyoung jumped in. “Fun fact: Jun and I both used to study martial arts and had no dance background when we came here. Fact: We can now kick ass on and off the dance floor.”

Jun’s face said he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “Does it really have to be ass?” he asked. It seemed rhetorical.

“How about spiritually,” Chan suggested. “Spiritual ass.”

Jun cracked a reluctant smile. “Better.” Myungho giggled.

“Chan, what’s your fun fact?”

“Oh, well… I’m not sure? I started dancing when I was a kid and did pretty much a little bit of everything. My dad was a dancer so he was all about ‘building my foundation’ in case I needed it. Turns out I still love dancing so, here I am.”

“That’s really cool,” Soonyoung said, chewing on a grilled mushroom gone cold. “I used to wonder what would’ve happened if I started dancing earlier.”

(He’d mentioned it to Jihoon once.

“Yeah, you probably would’ve had an easier time when you started university,” Jihoon had told him frankly, cheeks bulging with food. He ate like the world was ending and Soonyoung liked that about him. “But you wouldn’t be the same person you are today. Training for taekwondo gave you something special, right?”

“I don’t know about special,” Soonyoung replied, but he could feel the words sinking in already, warm in his bones. Jihoon had a way of saying things that made them sound true. “It made me different, I guess?”

And calmly, while shoveling another spoonful of rice in his mouth, Jihoon said, “Different is a good thing. Trust me.”)

Myungho’s voice shook Soonyoung out of his thoughts. “Hyung, you’re amazing anyway. I told you I wouldn’t have stayed at this school if it weren’t for you.”

“Hey,” Jun protested jokingly.

With a fond eye-roll, Myungho added, “And you.”

It would be nice, Soonyoung thought, if he could admire himself the way Myungho admired him. Or maybe that would inflate his ego to dangerous proportions. “Oh, come on,” he teased. “I know you stayed for the amazing barbeque.”

“Even the mosquitoes chose you over the barbeque,” Myungho pointed out.

Which reminded Soonyoung to check his phone. At some point, Jihoon had replied:

> **_use this_ **

Under that was a cartoon emoji doing a tornado kick. Just in case it worked, Soonyoung stuck his phone under the table for a few seconds to vanquish any mosquitoes hungry for round two.

Miraculously, he didn’t get bitten the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> got rid of the american terms this time around (freshman, senior, etc.)
> 
>  **@erreversible** on [twitter](https://twitter.com/erreversible?lang=en) | [tumblr](https://erreversible.tumblr.com/) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/erreversible)


	3. high school (nosebleeds)

“Over here! I’m open—"

It was PE for Class 1-3 and Soonyoung was goalie for soccer. He was feeling a bit lethargic today, and as he waited for the ball to circle back to his side of the field, his mind began to wander.

He had taekwondo training later that afternoon. Sessions were three times a week and, contrary to popular belief, Soonyoung neither anticipated nor dreaded them.

Some things he enjoyed: the awesome full-body stretch, the repetition of forms (almost therapeutic), the vending machine on the first floor of the building that always had his favorite snacks in stock…

“Hey!” the PE teacher hollered. “No pantsing!”

There was a freedom and rhythm to sparring that Soonyoung loved, too — but he would never admit to his sabum that he preferred dummies over real opponents so he could plan the whole fight in his head and then play it out exactly the way he wanted it to.

Real sparring, unfortunately, wasn’t choreographed. And what got Soonyoung wins was his agility. (“Speed is one of your best advantages,” is what his sabum liked to say. “Don’t forget that.”)

“Let go of my underwear, you—!” The shout came much closer than Soonyoung anticipated and he quickly shook himself back to reality, where a cluster of three guys nearby were fighting for the ball. Soonyoung was squinting to see who had it, when it came shooting through the forest of legs straight towards him.

There was no time to react.

Or so he thought. When Soonyoung opened his eyes again, he realized his arms had reflexively come up to shield him. As he lowered them, he felt a tingle in his forearms where the ball had bounced off… and into Jihoon’s face. Soonyoung watched in slow-motion horror as blood trickled out of Jihoon’s nose.

Eventually the PE teacher jogged over to Soonyoung. “Are you okay?”

“I didn’t mean to,” Soonyoung began, before the question processed in his head. “I mean, I’m fine, but he’s bleeding.”

“So are you.”

Soonyoung’s nose _was_ feeling somewhat sore and warm, and he touched it. It came away bright red. Clearly, his blocks weren’t up to par.

“Oh,” he gaped. “I didn’t mean to?”

That wasn’t the most reassuring thing to say. Before Soonyoung could tell the alarmed PE teacher that he was fine, that he was generally bad with words even when he wasn’t indirectly smacked by wayward projectiles, he was herded unceremoniously to the infirmary.

Cut to ten minutes later. Soonyoung and Jihoon were sitting on a cot, tissues stuffed up all their nostrils and ice packs in hand. The nurse had gone off to report to their teachers, leaving the two of them in drawn-out silence.

It was twice now that Soonyoung had inadvertently maimed Jihoon. Jihoon must’ve been thinking along the same lines because he said, “Do you have a vendetta against me?”

Soonyoung could feel himself crumbling under the pressure. It was the dead-level expression on Jihoon’s face, the whole ridiculous situation — the fact that the last time he spoke to Jihoon was when they did the awkward left-right-left step outside the boys’ bathroom, trying to get out of each other’s way because they weren’t quite _friends_ yet, despite the memorable first impression.

Then a breeze came through the cracked window, ruffling the tissue plumes dangling from Jihoon’s nose, and Soonyoung wheezed.

“Sorry,” he said, trying to muffle his own laughter, “I’m not… at you… it’s just…”

Jihoon just huffed and tilted his head back, wrinkling his nose. Though the nurse said it wasn’t broken, it was still pink from the impact earlier.

Valiently, Soonyoung fought off his giggle attack. “You shouldn’t lean back,” he warned.

Jihoon didn’t seem to be listening, so Soonyoung nudged Jihoon’s head upright with his palm. “Just keep pinching and be patient. Trust me.”

Jihoon relunctantly pinched the bridge of his nose. “Have a lot of experience, do you?”

“Well,” Soonyoung retracted his arm, “this is pretty basic.” He braced his hands on the edge of the bed. “When was the last time you had a nosebleed?”

“Can’t remember.”

“Yeah? I had one last week.”

“Congrats,” Jihoon said dryly. “Did you get knocked around during taekwondo?”

“Nah. My sister accidentally elbowed me in the face.” Soonyoung looked up thoughtfully. “But she used to do taekwondo when we were little, so maybe that counts?”

Jihoon laughed. It was a quiet, airy one through his teeth, but it counted. “You’re a hazard.”

Soonyoung bristled. “But it wasn’t even my fault.”

“That’s what makes you dangerous. Accidents just happen around you. I was collateral damage twice.”

 _No_ , Soonyoung thought, _accidents just happen around you_. “Fine,” he said aloud. “I’ll buy you a soda. How’s that?”

Jihoon considered him shrewdly. “Make that two sodas.”

“…You’re good,” Soonyoung admitted, offering a hand to shake.

“That has blood all over it.”

Soonyoung offered his elbow instead. Jihoon paused, and knocked it with his own.

After a moment, Jihoon added, “I’m not unreasonable. Two sodas are enough. And I won’t hold a grudge.”

In other words, _I’m not an asshole_.

“Cool,” Soonyoung said, vaguely touched.

“And if I ever accidentally maim you, I’ll buy you a soda back.”

“I prefer ice cream.”

“…Fine.”

In the warmth of his hand, Soonyoung’s ice pack slowly melted into water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wink wonk hope you're all taking care
> 
>  **@erreversible** on [twitter](https://twitter.com/erreversible?lang=en) | [tumblr](https://erreversible.tumblr.com/) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/erreversible)


	4. post-uni (silver)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** For anyone who’s read FWSS — this post-uni (or post-university) timeline includes everything that happened during FWSS (as well as other things that happened in the ~2 years before FWSS began). This timeline is written in past-tense because I have a present day timeline for this fic that takes place after FWSS!

“Grandpa?” was the first thing Jihoon said when he spotted Soonyoung outside the train station.

Soonyoung couldn’t find it in himself to feel affronted. “Ho ho, grandson,” he replied jovially, and flipped the silver fringe out of his eyes. “Someone told me this color’s hip right now.”

The someone was Myungho, who had helped Soonyoung dye it over the weekend on a whim. Soonyoung was, how do you say… in the mood for change. He was getting a little sick of seeing the same old reflection in different dance studio mirrors, day in and day out.

Compared to a full back tattoo, a dye job seemed less indicative of a quarter-life crisis.

Jihoon reached out to touch his hair and Soonyoung bent down, _ever_ so slightly, so he could reach. Jihoon rubbed the strands between forefinger and thumb, his eyes wide and curious.

 _This is why people call you cute,_ Soonyoung thought very quietly. In his opinion the cuteness had less to do with Jihoon’s looks and more with the truth plain on his face, usually completely at odds with whatever was coming out of his mouth.

Right then, it was, “Looks more like you turned gray over night.”

“It’s supposed to be silver.” Soonyoung shook his hair out to demonstrate. “It’s like, shinier or something.”

“You sure that’s not just oil?”

“Not today,” Soonyoung insisted. “I washed my hair this morning.”

Jihoon laughed. His eyebags seemed heavier today, and Soonyoung was feeling glad that they’d fallen into a routine of eating together every week or so, whenever their work schedules overlapped. (That was one benefit of having a job that bounced around Seoul — more often than not, Soonyoung could say he was “nearby” or “in the area” for dinner.)

Soonyoung was feeling glad because he probably wouldn’t have seen Jihoon and the precise state of his eyebags otherwise. The two of them were always better at socializing spontaneously, and it was a good thing they agreed that:

  1. Meeting up with each other wasn’t such a hassle when they were already outside anyway.
  2. _Food_.



“What should we eat?” Jihoon asked.

Soonyoung rubbed his chin. “Meat?”

“…More specifically.”

“Kimchi,” Soonyoung amended. “With meat.”

Jihoon stopped in his tracks, which made Soonyoung stop, too. They exchanged a look in the middle of the sidewalk.

Finally, Jihoon raised his eyebrows. “You want to go back there? Again?”

Soonyoung shrugged. “Why not? It’s not like anyone’s keeping track.”

Jihoon made a slightly pained expression but resumed walking. He wordlessly turned left at the next intersection, which was towards their barbecue place, and Soonyoung smirked.

“There are so many restaurants in Seoul, but I bet we’ve only eaten at five,” Jihoon griped.

Soonyoung draped a consoling arm across his shoulders. Jihoon really was the perfect height for it. “Think about it like this,” Soonyoung told him. “Would you rather have five best friends or a hundred acquaintances you kind of know?”

“A hundred best friends,” Jihoon answered immediately.

“Wow… Where’s your sense of loyalty?”

“Speak for yourself. _I_ have the capacity for a hundred.”

“Well, true.” More like Jihoon had the capacity _of_ a hundred, when it came to food. Soonyoung licked his chapped lips as they crossed another street. “Is Yoongi-hyung busy? He can join us if he hasn’t had dinner yet.”

Jihoon seemed to stiffen under Soonyoung’s arm. “He’s out of town.”

“Oh,” Soonyoung said lightly, determined not to assume anything, “next time then.”

There was a brief silence during which Soonyoung sensed the line of conversation he couldn’t bring himself to cross, because they never discussed these things, and politely averted his gaze from Jihoon’s too-honest face. Questions like _How are things with Yoongi?_ and _How many of our five best friends are also his best friends?_ came and went.

Then Jihoon tossed off Soonyoung’s arm. “You’re heavy.”

“So are you,” Soonyoung retorted for lack of a good comeback.

Jihoon snorted and held the door open for barbecue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> does anyone need a timeline breakdown fjdsklf
> 
>  **@erreversible** on [twitter](https://twitter.com/erreversible?lang=en) | [tumblr](https://erreversible.tumblr.com/) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/erreversible)


	5. university (best friend)

“Hi.”

Soonyoung looked up from the menu he was pretending to read and almost twitched when he saw Yoongi standing there, in the flesh. “Hi,” Soonyoung said, hoping he sounded casual and not-nervous-at-all. He carefully laid the menu flat on the table as Yoongi settled across from him, shedding his leather jacket and scarf.

“Jihoon said he’s going to be late,” Soonyoung offered. “His class is running over.”

Yoongi plucked at his black turtleneck. He had an effortlessly mature air about him. “Yeah, he told me.”

“Ah, really? That’s good.” Soonyoung shifted in his seat. He could count the number of times he’s met Yoongi on one hand; none of those meetings lasted more than the usual thirty seconds it took to say ‘hello’ in passing, and Jihoon was present for all of them.

This was the Official Dinner though, in which Soonyoung, the Official Best Friend, was meeting the Official Boyfriend. After today, Yoongi would no longer be a stranger.

Yoongi smiled a little when Soonyoung (accidentally) met his eyes. “Soonyoung, right?”

Soonyoung sat up straighter. “Yep. Kwon Soonyoung. Kwon like BoA, the singer.”

“Right.” Yoongi sounded amused. He took a dignified sip of his water. “Well, I’m a Min. Like Sunye from the Wonder Girls.”

So he had a sense of humor — it surprised a laugh out of Soonyoung. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a Min before.”

“Most people haven’t.” Yoongi tugged at one of the menus. “What’s good here?”

“Oh, the dakgalbi is pretty good. I think Jihoon liked the yukgaejang last time.”

Yoongi hummed and continued to peruse. He seemed like a good listener, Soonyoung thought, although hard to read, at least at first glance. Soonyoung wondered whether Yoongi was this reserved with Jihoon when they were alone.

Not that Yoongi needed Soonyoung’s approval to date Jihoon, but he could take notes at least. It was his Official Best Friend duty.

Too soon, Yoongi set the menu aside. “You’ve been here a lot?”

“Yeah, it’s near my university.” He felt the need to add, “I came here just once with Jihoon. He was in the neighborhood for a doctor’s appointment and he got hungry, you know, as usual…” Soonyoung trailed off. He could actually _hear_ himself rambling.

Yoongi was unfazed. “My internship is around here, too. Do you go to Chung-Ang? Or Soongsil?”

“Chung-Ang. Wow, you’re pretty familiar with the area.”

“Just the landmarks. I took an urban design course last semester so it’s fresh in my mind.” Yoongi reached for the menu again, and it occurred to Soonyoung that he might be nervous, too, just better at hiding it.

“Is it okay if I call you ‘hyung’?” Soonyoung asked suddenly.

Yoongi cracked a small smile. “Sure. Whatever’s comfortable.” He pulled his wandering hand away from the menu and rested his chin on it. “Jihoon… told me you went to high school together.”

“We did. We were friends in school. But you knew that.” Soonyoung shook his head to get his brain cells in order. “…Is there anything you wanted to know?”

“Mm.” Yoongi fell deep in thought for a moment. Eventually, he said, “Is it true that he never…” He blinked down at the table. “No, never mind.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” Soonyoung said doubtfully, and then Jihoon arrived in a whirlwind, shaking out his hair.

He dropped his backpack and took the seat next to Yoongi. “It’s hailing outside,” he huffed. His cheeks were slightly pink. “It literally started the minute I got off the train.”

“Hail? But isn’t it, like, August?”

“You can go out and check,” Jihoon told Soonyoung.

“I believe you,” Soonyoung acquiesced easily.

“Did you guys order food already?”

“Not yet,” Yoongi said. He handed Jihoon a menu. “We were talking.”

“Really?” Jihoon glanced at Soonyoung, which offended him a bit, because he hadn’t even said anything egregious this time. “Well, that’s… good.”

Yoongi merely grabbed another menu.

Soonyoung looked between them. He realized he was waiting for the other shoe to drop — for someone to kiss someone on the cheek, for a pet name to slip, for someone to light up with adoration, or whatever couples usually did — but Jihoon and Yoongi were just sitting there, not at all out of character.

Just being themselves.

“Do you know what you’re getting?” Jihoon asked Soonyoung across the table.

“Huh? Oh. Yeah, the dakgalbi, I guess.”

“Oddly decisive of you,” Jihoon said, snapping his menu shut.

Soonyoung felt like he was suspended in jelly, on the verge of _something_. “Did _you_ decide?”

“Yeah. Yukgaejang.”

“Is it that good?” Yoongi asked.

Jihoon looked perplexed at the phrasing of the question, but got over it quickly. “It’s solid.”

“I’ll try it then.”

Jihoon was calling for the waiter as soon as Yoongi finished his sentence. When the soup arrived first, Yoongi laughed dryly and turned to Jihoon. “When was the last time we ate at a proper restaurant?”

Jihoon snickered. “Can’t remember.”

“I guess I’m a bad influence.” To Soonyoung, Yoongi said, “I’m sorry.”

“Uh, you don’t have to apologize to me,” Soonyoung said hastily. “It’s not like I’m…” _A good influence_ , he meant to add, but at that moment he was struck by a strange, peaceful pang that all Best Friends must feel when their other halves find their real other halves. There was a flicker of loss, soft and bright, and then it was gone before he knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry this is kind of sad... i promise happier things to come
> 
> if anyone's curious, yoongi's question relates to a scene in [ch. 2 of fwss](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22554280/chapters/54396997)
> 
>  **@erreversible** on [twitter](https://twitter.com/erreversible?lang=en) | [tumblr](https://erreversible.tumblr.com/) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/erreversible)


	6. high school (dream girl)

Mingyu pointed his tiny pink ice cream spoon at Soonyoung’s nose. “You like the domineering type, don’t you? Someone who can boss you around and make the decisions.”

Soonyoung crossed his arms defensively. “Even if I did, what’s so wrong with that? It’s nice when someone knows what they want.”

“Nothing’s wrong. That’s great. Jihae is literally your dream girl, and that’s just perfect.” It was amazing how snide Mingyu could manage to sound, even when he wasn’t trying very hard.

“This is why assholes like Dongsoo pick fights with you all the time,” Seungcheol cut in, his spoon between his teeth. Mingyu shrank away. “You’re already too big for your own good, don’t give them more reasons to jump you just because they want to prove that they can—”

They hadn’t seen Seungcheol since he started university this spring and the whole point of ice cream was to help him de-stress. It wasn’t really working.

“You’re just jealous,” Soonyoung said.

The guilt seeped in as soon as Mingyu opened his mouth. “Listen, I’m happy that you found someone you like so much. Seriously. But I’m not gonna watch you pine over her from afar until you die, old and alone.”

“He’s right,” Seungcheol said, switching targets to Soonyoung. “And it’s our fault for enabling you for so long.”

“Hold on, what did _I_ ever do—”

Seungcheol waved Mingyu off. “Why don’t you just confess already? It’s your last year.”

Soonyoung rested his chin on the table. He tried to imagine what it would be like to date Jihae for real. She was awesome and cool and pretty and he wanted her to notice him — but them? Together? He was so… _lame_ compared to her.

“What if she avoids me for the rest of the year? I don’t want that…”

“Well, you might not see her again after graduation anyway. Your choice.”

“I don’t wanna choose,” Soonyoung whined.

Fortunately, Jihoon’s arrival delayed the inevitable. He unloaded his backpack on the floor and took the seat next to Soonyoung. “Choose what?”

“Nothing,” Soonyoung said, rubbing the now sticky underside of his chin. Mingyu shot him a flat look across the table but kept quiet. “How did the meeting go?”

Jihoon shrugged, but his frustration was palpable. “Typical. I think my mom called the teacher’s office beforehand because he kept telling me to reconsider my major, even when I already have my schools and applications planned out. You’d think they’d reward us for being proactive, but all I got was a lecture.”

With the teachers breathing down every third-year’s neck, it’s also been weighing on Soonyoung’s mind lately: things he should do, or could do. Jihoon would probably be able to give him the right answer, but that would be too easy. Soonyoung wanted to find it himself — the way Jihoon did.

“Are you going to talk to your parents?” Seungcheol asked, having calmed down a bit. The bags were heavy under his eyes.

“I already did. My dad won’t say anything else and my mom just doesn’t get it.”

“Maybe give them time,” Soonyoung suggested lightly. “When my sister wanted to study abroad, it took my parents months to come around.”

Jihoon sighed. “Maybe.”

“Here.” Soonyoung pushed his half-eaten strawberry ice cream towards Jihoon. “Have the rest.”

“What for?”

“It’s good. Try it.”

Jihoon flicked the paper cup back where it came. “You’re just giving it me because you can’t finish it.”

“No,” Soonyoung said. “I’m giving it to you because it’s good and you should try it.” He scooped some and held it up to Jihoon’s mouth. “Say ‘ah.’”

Jihoon made a face and pushed his arm away. “Don’t,” he warned.

Soonyoung opened his own mouth wider to demonstrate. “Come on. ‘Ah.’” He found out pretty early on that cracking Jihoon took discipline and persistence. Thankfully, Soonyoung excelled at both.

“ _Ugh_. That has your spit all over it—”

The spoonful of melted ice cream plopped onto the floor between their chairs. They both stared at it. “Look at what you did,” Jihoon said accusingly.

“It’s your fault,” Soonyoung retorted. “Now you have to eat the rest.”

“What kind of logic is that?”

Jihoon went off to fetch some napkins from the counter. Grumbling all the way, he wiped the ice cream off the floor, and then stuck a fresh tiny spoon into Soonyoung’s ice cream. He gave it an experimental lick.

“How is it?” Soonyoung asked with semi-bated breath.

“It’s strawberry ice cream,” Jihoon deadpanned.

“Heh. Told you it was good.”

“Really?” Seungcheol’s curious spoon reached over for a taste. “Man, I shouldn’t have tried that new flavor. It tasted weird.”

“You can’t go wrong with strawberry, dude.”

“I can’t believe you’re all older than me,” Mingyu muttered. They ignored him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have i mentioned that i'll probably be skipping back and forth within each timeline 🐒
> 
>  **@erreversible** on [twitter](https://twitter.com/erreversible?lang=en) | [tumblr](https://erreversible.tumblr.com/) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/erreversible)


	7. present (birthmark)

Soonyoung wakes up on lazy Saturday morning to the distant sound of water running.

With some difficulty he pulls himself out of the Soonyoung-shaped dent in his lovely memory foam mattress and pads to the bathroom where Jihoon is bent over the sink, splashing his face with water.

His bare back is pale and dotted with the occasional tiny mole, all the more stark on his pale complexion. There’s one off-set from his spine near the juncture of his neck and shoulder that draws Soonyoung in, and he frames it with his hands and kisses it.

A shiver passes through Jihoon from head to toe and Soonyoung pictures a cat with its hair rising on end.

The water shuts off and Jihoon turns around, his face dripping. “What was that?”

“I just noticed you have moles on your back.” Flustered under observation, Soonyoung grabs the nearest towel. “You’re dripping everywhere,” he says, smothering Jihoon with it.

Taking the opportunity, Jihoon dabs his face dry before grabbing a hold of Soonyoung’s arms. He turns them soft-side up. “What’s so interesting about mine? You have some here, too.”

“Yeah, but I see those all the time.”

Jihoon thumbs over Soonyoung’s patchy bruise of a birthmark. “This is more interesting.”

While Soonyoung has never been self-conscious about it, no one’s ever looked at it so closely before either, and he holds his breath a little as Jihoon thumbs over it again, slower this time, to see if the color will change.

Without warning Jihoon leans down and kisses it. He glances up Soonyoung through his eyelashes, setting off this dangerous _zing_ through Soonyoung’s bones. Immediately after, Jihoon wipes his thumb over it one last time before letting Soonyoung go, Jihoon’s ears just shy of fluorescent.

Soonyoung has always had an invested interest in pushing Jihoon’s boundaries and the desire has only magnified over time.

Especially since he’s found that the more he pushes, the more likely Jihoon will push back.

He takes two steps forward, bumping Jihoon into the sink. He’s so close that Jihoon has to tilt his head back to look up at him.

“What,” Jihoon asks, as his attention flits between various points on Soonyoung’s face. Eyes, nose, chin, cheek, eyes, nose, lips, lips, lips.

Soonyoung taps his bottom lip with a finger. Jihoon stares at him flatly, but the pink in his ears hasn’t faded one bit.

Soonyoung taps his lip again. “Here, too.” His mind is filling in the blanks already — how in five seconds, he could be hoisting Jihoon up on the sink and pressing into the heat of him, still sleep-warm, Jihoon’s hand in his hair. Or how Jihoon could be pushing Soonyoung back into the opposite wall, tiles a cold shock against his back, Soonyoung grabbing onto the towel hanging beside him for purchase as Jihoon pushes and pushes like he wants to —

Jihoon headbutts Soonyoung’s sternum.

“Wash up,” Jihoon tells him, as Soonyoung wheezes and clutches at his chest.

A few minutes later Soonyoung shuffles into the kitchen all washed up ( _not_ because he wants approval from Jihoon, but because that’s what he was going to do anyway). Jihoon is frying eggs while leftoever rice heats up in the microwave, and Soonyoung hovers over his shoulder a bit before plopping down on the couch to watch him.

Eggs and rice done, Jihoon snags a few containers of banchan that Jihoon’s mom had packed for Soonyoung and sets everything on the coffee table.

“Are you going to watch me eat?”

Soonyoung slides off the couch and onto the floor, taking the pillow he’d been hugging with him. He watches Jihoon circle into the kitchen and return, holding out a pair of chopsticks for Soonyoung. 

“Thanks,” Soonyoung sighs, but Jihoon doesn’t let go. Frowning, Soonyoung tugs on the chopsticks harder. “What are you—”

Jihoon leans down. It’s just a peck, but Jihoon’s self-conscious laugh afterwards makes Soonyoung feel all fluttery inside.

Jihoon straightens and makes to walk around the table. “Satisfied?” 

Soonyoung grabs Jihoon’s wrist and doesn’t even bother trying to hide his smile when Jihoon sits down right there, tugging his bowl of rice over to Soonyoung’s side of the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lots of fluff in the present day timeline methinks 🐑
> 
>  **@erreversible** on [twitter](https://twitter.com/erreversible?lang=en) | [tumblr](https://erreversible.tumblr.com/) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/erreversible)


	8. post-uni (sick day)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when texting:   
>  _italics_ = soonyoung   
>  **_bold italics_** = jihoon

Ground K’s studios lived on the fifth floor of a commercial building that housed several other offices. It was modest and unassuming, and Soonyoung would’ve walked right past the sign had he not been looking for it.

“What are you doing?” Soonyoung muttered under his breath.

He wasn’t sure how he got here. Jihoon _had_ been mysteriously busy lately and they haven’t met up in a while. He’d wanted to tell Jihoon about how there was barely any furniture in his new apartment because he’d never lived somewhere with more than one room, but he sent that text to his sister instead.

It was funny to think that in high school, he used to invite Jihoon over to his house whenever he felt like it and Jihoon would show up in thirty minutes. It was that easy.

_But we’re_ _adults now_. The thought made Soonyoung shiver in horror.

“Need help?” someone asked.

Soonyoung looked at the man who had just exited the building, taking in the Ground K logo on his T-shirt.

Soonyoung shook his head. “No, I’m…” His traitorous mouth pulled a one-eighty. “...looking for Jihoon. Lee Jihoon. Do you know him?”

The man blinked, before recognition warmed his face. “You’re a friend of Jihoon’s?” He adjusted his beanie. “He’s out sick today. Did he not tell you?”

Soonyoung had no idea. For some reason that stung, even though he’d shown up here all on his own.

“Ah, that’s right, he did tell me! I forgot.” Soonyoung laughed sheepishly as he backed away. “I don’t know what I was thinking. Sorry to bother you.”

“Uh, sure.” The man pointed at him. “There’s a fire hydrant—”

Soonyoung narrowly avoided tripping over it. With one last bow, he took off to the train station.

Back in his apartment, he was greeted by boxes upon unpacked boxes and the singular blue couch that the place had come with. He curled up on it and hugged his knees, not bothering to flick on all the lights.

His phone buzzed him awake at 7:43 p.m. Soonyoung massaged the crick in his neck — his old dance professor would’ve ripped him a new one for falling asleep in such poor posture — and squinted blearily at his screen in the dark.

It was a text from Jihoon.

> **_hey  
> _ ** **_have you ever tried gochugaru and soju  
> _ ** **_for a cold_ **

Soonyoung snorted. He wriggled, freeing his arm to type.

> _no i would die…  
> _ _you have a cold??_
> 
> **_yeah  
> _ ** **_do you think it works  
> _ ** **_i have soju and gochu_ **
> 
> _is it that bad lolol_
> 
> **_my nose keeps running  
> _ ** **_i can’t get anything done_ **

Soonyoung crawled out of his nook in the couch and continued to text while he washed up.

> _won’t the gochusoju just make everything worse?  
> _ _what if you choke_
> 
> **_let’s see_ **
> 
> _you’re doing it??  
> _ _are you doing it  
> _ _can you record it  
> _ _i wanna see lol_
> 
> **_just kidding  
> _ ** **_i ran out of soju_ **

Jihoon added a banging head emoji as Soonyoung flopped onto his bed.

> _ahh shame ><  
> _ _try vinegar  
> _ _you can gargle it_
> 
> **_you actually want me to choke don’t you?_ **
> 
> _hey it’s a real thing!  
> _ _that’s what i heard_
> 
> **_hold on_ **

There was a pause during which Soonyoung imagined Jihoon rifling through his kitchen cupboards.

> **_i don’t have vinegar either  
> _ ** **_i’m going to bed_ ** ****
> 
> _okay  
> _ _don’t choke~_
> 
> **_thanks you too_ **

Soonyoung’s laugh turned into a yawn midway, and he snuggled into his covers. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the preview scene i posted a while back on tumblr!
> 
> **@erreversible** on [twitter](https://twitter.com/erreversible?lang=en) | [tumblr](https://erreversible.tumblr.com/) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/erreversible)


End file.
